Echoes of Resilience

13

Flashback: 2 Weeks In Captivity

Meredith is sitting on the cot with her knees pulled to her chest. She hasn't eaten in four days and the only sound in the room is her stomach growling. "Can you please just shut up? I'm aware that you're hungry but there's nothing I can do about it!" She whisper yells at her stomach, tears burning at the back of her eyes. She looks around the dark room and feels rage consume her, getting up and throwing everything she can get her hands on while screaming. Her hands fall on a rough rope and her breath catches in her throat as she looks at it, there's blood on it. She hears the three beeps of the lock, but is frozen in place. The door opens and Derek walks in, expecting her to be on the bed. He quickly scans the destroyed shed and laughs when he sees Meredith staring at the bloody rope in her hands. Her eyes snap up as her breathing becomes more labored, grasping onto the rope in her hands. "Who's blood is this?" She asks quietly, terrified of what the answer might be.

Derek walks up to her, grabbing her by the hair to force her to her knees, kicking her legs apart. He grabs the rope out of her hands and looks at it with a smirk on his face. In a quick, fluid motion the rope is around her neck being tightened in increments. "Didn't I say you are only to speak when spoken to?" He laughs as he hears Meredith struggle to breathe, letting the rope go and watching her fall to the ground.

He reaches down and picks her up by the throat, throwing her on the bed while laughing. "Nothing to say now, slut? I didn't think so." He straddles Meredith's hips, holding the rope up above her head. "You really want to know who's blood is on this rope?" He asks with a dark chuckle as Meredith nods slowly. "Be careful what you wish for, did you think that you're the first woman I've felt an unavoidable pull towards?" He spits in her face. "Now are you going to be a good girl? I bet you're hungry, the last thing you ate was half of a cheeseburger and that was several days ago." Meredith quickly nods, too afraid to speak. "Use your words." He growls as he slaps her hard across the face.

"I'll be good, I promise." Meredith whimpers, holding a hand to her throbbing cheek as the taste of blood from her split lip fills her mouth. Derek pulls her hand away and slaps her again before removing her bra and panties, throwing them to the side. He roughly grabs her breasts in his hands, laughing as she cries out in pain.

"You know, no one is even looking for you. They're all happy you're out of their hair. I'm the only one who cares about you Meredith, the only one who loves you." He roughly pushes himself inside of her, grabbing her throat and squeezing. "You look so pathetic right now, give in Meredith. Stop fighting. Let me love you." He screams in her face as he lets go of her throat to instead attach his mouth, leaving bite marks and hickeys all across her neck. "I did some research and your dad left you and started a new family, he has a wife and two daughters. He never looked back, never fought for you. You're disposable Meredith." He finishes and pulls out of Meredith, laughing as she whimpers in pain. "Wow, I almost can't believe that you behaved yourself for once! Good girl. Are you hungry?" He asks while roughly petting her hair with a sickening smirk on his face.

"Yes Derek, may I please have something to eat?" Meredith asks softly, blinking back tears while trying to ignore the pain in between her legs. Derek gets up and comes back with a bag, placing a six piece box of chicken nuggets in front of her. She quickly starts eating, but after she's only had two chicken nuggets Derek takes the box away.

"That's enough cow, I have to go now but I'll be back tomorrow." He throws her bra and panties at her. "Get dressed." He watches her get dressed and punches her in the stomach when she takes too long. "God, you're so fucking slow and you didn't even thank me for the food! I have half a mind to force you to throw it up! Ungrateful bitch!" He pulls her off the cot and onto the floor, stepping on the side of her head with his boot. "Since you want to be ungrateful you can sleep on the floor like the animal you are, naked." He says as he pulls her bra and panties off again, leaving a hyperventilating Meredith on the floor as he leaves for the night.